Moral Fashion of a Commercial Society
by Sorrow in Shadow
Summary: Ginny Weasley returns to Hogwarts as a fifth year student, ready to leave her place at the sidelines. With Fred and George gone, Ginny has the opportunity to make practical use of what she's learned from them... and her first target is Draco Malfoy.
1. Prejudice of the Learned

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Disclaimer: If you recognize anything then I don't own it. Except for words, like "the" or "and". I don't think anyone owns them... maybe Mary and Webster. I wonder if they're actually people...

"Behind the basic principle of the current moral fashion: 'moral actions are actions performed out of sympathy for others', I see the social effect of timidity hiding behind an intellectual mask: it desires, first and foremost, that all the dangers which life once held should be removed from it, and that everyone should assist in this with all his might: hence only those actions which tend towards the common security and society's sense of security are to be accorded the predicate 'good'! [...]"

- Friedrich Nietzsche, Philosopher

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Moral Fashion of a Commercial Society

By Sorrow in Shadow

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Chapter One – Prejudice of the Learned

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"The learned judge correctly that people of all ages have believed they know what is good and evil, praise – and blameworthy. But it is a prejudice of the learned that we now know better than any other age."

Ginny – Virginia, to be proper – Weasley sat uncomfortably crushed between sixth years Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom on the train that sped along on its sojourn back to Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Across from her bunched up knees sat Luna Lovegood, also wedged between two older students: Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley. No one was doing much of anything. Hermione wrote hurried sentences in her leather-bound diary. Ginny scowled. Ever since her first year at Hogwarts, the redhead had despised diaries of any kind. She didn't trust them, and seeing the fervent look on Hermione's face as she put her every thought into writing made Ginny wrinkle her nose and look away.

Neville was staring out the window. At the end of last year he had finally seen the woman responsible for permanently crippling – emotionally speaking – his parents. Bellatrix Lestrange, convicted of several murders and pious loyalty to Voldemort. Still, Neville was returning to Hogwarts as something close to a hero. For that, Ginny was proud of her friend.

Luna read the latest edition of _The Quibbler_, upside down as usual. Since she was doing nothing of much interest, Ginny averted her gaze to Ron. Her older brother was stuffing his face shamelessly with chocolate frogs and Bertie Bots Every Flavor Beans. With a grimace of disgust concerning her brother's piggish eating habits, Ginny turned a now criticizing eye to Harry.

The boy she had crushed on for three years was in deep thought. Most likely contemplating the death of his beloved godfather, Sirius. Frowning to herself, Ginny fiddled with her fingers, gazing at the unpainted, yet long, nails that gave her the immense scratching power her brothers had learned to fear and loathe over the summer. A satisfying smile worked its way onto the young woman's pretty face as she clicked her nails together. Ron shuddered slightly before burying his face into the beheaded chocolate frog he was tormenting at the moment.

What fun this year was going to be, even without Fred and George. She could full-out torture her older brother and he'd have no one left to turn to. Fred and George were gone; besides, they would most likely make fun of him instead of her. Percy. _The prat._ She cursed, resisting the urge to snarl. Bill and Charlie were long gone, so all Ron would be able to do would be to write them and complain about all the new scabs he'd received from the "feminine tentacles" of his little sister.

Secretly, Ginny was hoping that everyone would notice that she wasn't so little after all. Thin, yes, but not disgustingly so. In fact, she was rather attractive in that happy-go-lucky way. Maybe not even that. Ginny smiled to herself and fingered her bright, atrociously red hair. Maybe this year would be different. Since the end of her fourth year she had been dating Dean Thomas. This practically infuriated her brother, Ron, even though Dean was a close friend of his.

In a somewhat evil mannerism, Ginny enjoyed watching them have a row about her. It made her feel important, to be blunt. A frown swept across her gentle features. Why did she have to feel important? _Oh who are you kidding, Ginny? Doesn't everyone?_ She thought to herself, feeling the familiar scowl shape her lips.

Was it just her surprisingly accurate intuition, or had she grown more disgruntled over the summer? She harbored anger and resentment where everyone else held pity, that was certain. Especially towards Harry. He had been such a clueless prat most of last year, always yelling at somebody over something. Couldn't that illustrious nut get over himself and his emotions? He really wasn't all that vain, as Ginny knew from his humbling time spent with the infamous Dursley's. But his emotions... Who did that boy think he was? Acting the hero all the time, as if it were an innate ability handed down from father to son.

Ginny didn't know why she was suddenly so berating towards Harry, but her mind flashed with questions and unexplained actions. Why was he so glorified? Lord, she had _seen_ him with the vivacious Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw Seeker now dating her previous boyfriend. He was hopeless when it came to girls. _Hermione_ had a better chance with Cho than Harry did! At this rate anyway.

Brushing away that disturbing thought and the image provided with it, Ginny dared a peek at Harry. He was still staring into the space before him, the space occupied by Hermione and her quickly scribbling quill. Ginny had a feeling that Harry wasn't looking directly at Hermione, but into a bleak and painful nothing. Like penetrating the sky with your eyes to see if you can find what it's hiding behind all the billowing clouds. He was most likely pitying himself. Again.

Ginny felt slightly guilty for saying that, but she found it hard to tolerate with people who felt bad for themselves. Even if that was being slightly hypocritical, it went with the saying 'Do as I say, not as I do'. _Sorrow_, she thought, _is the root of self-pity._ With those words of unexpected wisdom broadening her mind, Ginny nodded understandingly. Sirius had died, beyond the veil, and Harry was overcome with an immense feeling of grief, thus causing him to pity himself for the misfortune happened upon him.

It made sense. If sorrow truly was the root of self-pity, then the way Harry was acting was completely and unsettlingly normal. Still, Ginny was tired to being part of something grand without fishing in any of the grandeur herself. If everyone expected her to simply stand on the sidelines and lend nothing more than a helping hand, then they could think again. This year, Virginia Weasley was going to become a woman.

The Hogwarts Express slowed to a halt at the Hogsmeade Station, and Ginny felt everyone around her rise and begin to gather their things. Even Harry, which meant that his reverie must've been a much less interesting one than her own contemplations. That thought alone disturbed her. What was in that boy's mind, then? She shook her head in scolding after she thought whether or not his head would sound hollow were she to knock on it with her fist.

_Come now, Ginny, be nice._ This was great. She was talking to herself. _Well,_ she thought bitterly, _at least I'm more interesting than anyone else on this bloody train!_

After deciding that she'd much rather have a conversation with herself anyway, Ginny gathered her things and exited the train behind the visibly wheezing Neville, who was having trouble carrying his trunk and keeping a firm hold on Trevor the toad at the same time. With a sigh of mixed sympathy and annoyance, Ginny whipped out her wand from her ready pocket and pointed it at the suitcase, then, with a sly grin, thought better of it and aimed at the poor, petrified Trevor instead. "_Wingardium Leviosa_!" she chanted as Trevor the toad started to float a few feet higher into the air than Neville's fist had already suspended him.

Trevor puffed out his blotchy breast and croaked loudly. Neville started and looked back towards Trevor in terror. A few other students laughed, and the toad, taking this for their recognition of him as a celebrity (which is what he had always wanted), began to croak louder and louder, attracting the unwanted attention of several more students. The unwanted part coming from the boasting Slytherins. Out of pure pity, Ginny swished her wand once more, muttering "_Silencio_!" almost under her breath. Trevor immediately stopped croaking, even though his gaping mouth kept opening and closing in a rhythmic manner. To tell the truth, Ginny thought he looked crest-fallen.

"Nice toad you've got there, Longbottom," drawled a voice she only knew too well. "Does it dance too?" Neville looked at a complete loss for words, and Ginny felt it suitable to come to his rescue, seeing as it was her fault Trevor had been staged in mid-air anyhow.

"No, but now that you mention it, I can make it dance in your pants," Draco Malfoy scowled. Ginny took great pleasure in this and smiled. "Maybe for fun I'll add some flies in there too, eh? See how fast you can dance as well? And let me guess, with all your filthy piles of coins, I'm sure you've had excellent tutoring in the ways of moving your sluggish feet."

Draco sneered. "We'll see how much you enjoy your feet next time you're on the dance floor, Weasley," he scoffed, and a laugh – more of a shriek, really – came from his arm candy, the infamous blabbermouth Pansy Parkinson. For a moment he looked absolutely disgusted, but seemed to mentally shrug it off.

Ginny's eyebrows raised themselves in an imposing manner. "Is that a threat, Malfoy?" she asked, her warm brown eyes boring into his icy gray ones. "Or are you trying to be a gentleman?"

"Maybe you'll see in time, Weasley," he said, raising one slick blonde brow before turning to leave; his arm to which Pansy clutched as if for dear life limp at his side. If she didn't know better, and she did, then he was thoroughly annoyed with the Parkinson girl. Ginny gave her a criticizing glance. She wasn't very pretty, and reminded her very much of a pug dog. It fit her well. Draco's submissive lap dog.

This was going to be an interesting year, Ginny was certain. How interesting, she was soon to find out. Snatching Trevor out of the air and returning the disappointed toad to its ecstatic owner once they were all off the train, Ginny glanced into the coming darkness before her, and saw the glowing windows of the Hogwarts Castle. They were so warm and inviting. Never before had Ginny felt so _right_ in coming here.

If living with Fred and George had given her any specific notions or traits, she had hidden them well. Until now, of course. With both her brothers successfully running a joke shop in Diagon Alley – of all places! – the title of Prankster was open. Folding her arms under her substantial breasts, Ginny felt a grin of satisfaction sweep across her face. She felt like a new person; and all the better, she knew who her first prank victim would be.

"He has very sleek hair," she noted warily, glancing after the forms of Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, Crabbe, and Goyle, as they ascended the steps into the believed-until-recently-horseless carriages that took them all to Hogwarts Castle. "I wonder if he prizes it above all his other... features."

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(A/N: So there's the first chapter... Sorry about the Hermione story "The Rest is Silence". I just had an impulse for Ginny and Draco, so I decided to start anew. I'll continue Hermione's tale later on. I want to explore these two "sideline" characters...)


	2. Thoughts

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. That makes me sad. See:  __L - (sad face)_

_"Behind the basic principle of the current moral fashion: 'moral actions are actions performed out of sympathy for others', I see the social effect of timidity hiding behind an intellectual mask: it desires, first and foremost, that all the dangers which life once held should be removed from it, and that everyone should assist in this with all his might: hence only those actions which tend towards the common security and society's sense of security are to be accorded the predicate 'good'! [...]"_

_- Friedrich Nietzsche, Philosopher_

Moral Fashion of a Commercial Society 

By Sorrow in Shadow 

Chapter Two – Thoughts 

"Thoughts are the shadows of our sensations – always darker, emptier, simpler than these."

            "Ginny!" called Ron's voice over the hustle and bustle of every Hogwarts student climbing into the carriages that took them to their 'boarding school' for the greater part of the coming year. Almost reluctantly, Ginny turned and briskly approached the carriage all her friends were scrambling into. It seemed that everyone this year was trying to fit in to some sort of style. There were those who still lavished all their energy on improving their brains, such as Hermione, those who considered themselves rebels without a cause, perhaps that's what Harry and Ron thought themselves to be, then Neville and Luna and, maybe, Colin Creevey were the odd balls.

            That was mildly disturbing, that everyone seemed to fit into a carefully labeled category. Ginny grumbled under her breath before mounting the steps into the carriage and sitting between Ron and Neville. Unfortunately, the two males blocked her view of the approaching Hogwarts castle, so Ginny had to remain content with folding her arms across her chest and waiting. The night was dark and cloudy, for no stars appeared in the sky. Not that Ginny could see, anyhow.

            There wasn't much to look forward to this year, Ginny thought. Dumbledore had told Harry that he would someday soon have to battle Voldemort until one of them had died. Of course, Harry had proceeded to explain this to Ron and Hermione, and Hermione had promptly told Ginny.

            So Ginny was aware of this fact, obviously. She hadn't told Harry or Ron of her knowledge, for she thought that they might be inclined to place even more protective positions around her. _For goodness sake! I'm not a little girl anymore... If I can battle Death Eaters and live, then I'm not harmless!_ Holding back a growl, Ginny bit her lip and considered that fact. Even though she had grown, the only single person who seemed to treat her like an equal instead of a baby was Hermione, and maybe Dean. Maybe.

            Sometimes muggles had more common sense than wizards. Then, again, most wizards lived longer than muggles. They had more time to live out their lives, whereas muggles struggled to figure out all they could in their sadly short lifetimes. All those emotions: love, hate, sorrow, joy, empathy, and so on, were expressed more by muggles. They took more risks, Ginny realized. They knew no life other than their own, non-magical ones. _How dull_, Ginny thought sadly.

            The carriage pulled up in front of the Hogwarts grounds, and everyone proceeded to clamber out quickly, taking their luggage and animals with them. Ron was fidgeting with Pigwidgeon, having had more respect and compassion for the small owl since Sirius' death. Ginny frowned deeply. Sirius had been a friend to all of them, except Neville and Luna, and everyone greatly mourned that loss. None more so than Harry, who was somber and silent most of the time these days.

            As Ginny pushed and shoved her luggage out of the compartment, she looked up to view Hogwarts from the outside once more. It was truly a magnificent castle, and held a strange aura of safety and 'home' around it's gigantic stone towers and gorgeous mosaic windows. A small sigh escaped from Ginny's lips as she lugged her suitcases to the huge metal and wooden door that allowed them to enter Hogwarts. With a grunt, Ginny pulled her suitcases up the stairs and to the door, where she waited for Professor Minerva McGonagall to arrive and let them in, so to speak.

            She stood there, shifting all her weight onto one leg as she placed both hands on her hips and stared threateningly at the door before her. She didn't even notice the other students gathering around her and giggling to themselves. Hearing a familiar drawl she blew a puff of air up at an annoying strand of hair that dared to fall out from behind her ear. Not _him_ again, she almost thought, then reconsidered this and decided that it was probably a good opportunity to find out more about her… target, to be friendly.

            With a haughty stance, Ginny contemplated how to best gain his attention. Maybe doing something extremely stupid would help, but Ginny didn't want to embarrass herself in front of everyone. Then again, she didn't care.

            She slowly stepped back, down a couple stairs, then promptly tripped on the last step and sprawled onto the cold stone before the door. This act of self-inflicted pain gathered the attention of a great number of students, many of the Slytherins included, much to Ginny's delight. That was the first time she'd been pleased to have the notice of a Slytherin. This thought made her grimace for a moment before she twisted her expression into one of feigned pain.

            "Nice one, Weasley," a sneering tone commented. There was only one person who could command such a disgustingly pompous voice, and that was Draco Malfoy. _You won't be so stuck up once I'm done with you, Malfoy…_ she convinced herself, allowing a slight smirk of satisfaction to cross her face before pushing herself up off the ground with a tiny grunt.

            "I didn't think it was nice," she mumbled, just loudly enough for him to hear. She brushed her hair aside so that it gave a matted, wild appearance. Hopefully he would react like she expected him to.

            "You don't think so, Weasley?" he said, louder and with a giant hint of mocking in his degrading tone. She noted that as he looked at her bedraggled hair, he brushed his own suave blonde strands back with a pale hand. "What do you think, then?" Before Ginny could respond, Draco caught himself and added quickly: "Haha, what am I saying? _I_ don't care what _you_ have to say, Weasley." With another abysmal laugh, Draco turned back to his friends and they began to talk in somewhat low voices as Ginny stood up to her full height, still shorter than almost everyone, and brushed her skirts off. Anyone who gave her so much as a quizzical glance got a dark glare in return.

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            As she settled down in her dorm, Ginny proceeded to unpack her belongings. Her whimsical trip and verbally insulting encounter with Malfoy had been slightly humiliating, but she had seen all she needed to know the effects of her first prank. With a malevolent smile that many people would not believe possible for innocent little Ginny Weasley, she skimmed through her spell books in search of something that would help her carry through with her plan.

            With a sigh, she flung her last spell book into her suitcase and sat, pouting, on her bed, grumbling about how unfair it all was… Until Hermione came into the room. With a smile broader than most people could manage, Ginny sprang up and proceeded to ask her older, wiser friend for help. Hermione, once she heard the pleas of her younger friend, nodded fervently and smiled. "I suppose I could explain it…"

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            The feast. A genuine, time-for-Ginny-to-put-on-the-charms, smile plastered itself onto her lips. Dean Thomas had met up with her in the Gryffindor common room, and the two had tried to ignore the frequent death glares that Ron cast in their direction. As they began to eat, Dean wrapped a secure arm about her waist and continued boasting to Seamus and Ron about his summer.

            Harry stared into the enchanted ceiling above, not saying anything or eating, with his arms folded across his chest and his gaze oddly vacant. Ginny supposed that he had a lot to think about, and she almost felt sorry for him. Almost. With a disgruntled sigh that would have failed to get Dean's attention had she wanted it, Ginny looked at Hermione, who was busy eating her food and sending worried glances in Harry's direction. It was so like Hermione to fret over Harry. She'd made a career for herself at Hogwarts, worrying about Harry. No one did a better job than Hermione when it came to that. The bushy-haired sixth year caught Ginny's gaze for a moment, winked with a smile, then instantly went back to eating and worrying.

            The real prize of the evening was at the Slytherin table. Draco Malfoy sat with his badgering bunch of flunkies, laughing and drawling together, were that possible, and drinking from one of the many silver goblets, every so often running a hand through his pale hair. _It IS nice hair, though…I must admit._ Ginny nodded her head in agreement with her silent comment, and Dean turned a questioning look upon his girlfriend. Ron grew tense in his seat. Ginny quickly averted her gaze from Draco's backside to Dean's friendly if not demanding face. It would never do if her boyfriend saw her goggling at a Slytherin enemy.

            Even if she was only planning.

            "Gin?" Dean said softly, hoping Ron would hear or punch at him, even from across the table. Knowing Ron, the hotheaded boy would most likely leap across the table and start beating at Dean with the smoked salmon in front of him if he made any move on Ginny. Even if she was his girlfriend.

            "Hmm?" Ginny took a sip of her tinted drink and returned her boyfriend's questioning gaze with a raised eyebrow and a sour expression.

            Dean took a moment to think this out. "Nothing," he muttered, turning back to Seamus when his best friend asked another question.

            "So what happened then?" Ginny heard Seamus' excited voice linger excitedly in the raucous of noise that engulfed the Great Hall. With a small sigh, Ginny returned her curious eyes to Draco's back. She wanted to know precisely when he left the Great Hall, and hoped ardently that he did so alone.

            Suddenly, the Slytherin prefect gracefully left his seat, and Ginny, for lack of a better idea, spilled her juice onto her lap, and then shrieked slightly as the cold liquid sank through her robes. Ushered by Dean and Seamus, Ginny hurried out of the Great Hall to 'change her robes and take a shower'. For lack of a better idea, of course.

            She swung Harry's invisibility cloak around her shoulders once the doors had been closed, and scampered after Draco's slowly walking form as he headed for the Slytherin Dungeons. Cursing under her breath, Ginny ran as silently as she could to catch up with him. Right as he stood before the entrance of the Slytherin Dungeons, Draco must've thought he heard something behind him, for he sharply turned on his heels and scanned his surroundings with those cool gray eyes of his.

            He narrowed his eyes as he glanced about, then, seeing nothing, frowned heavily. "Maybe…" he mumbled audibly, reaching a hand out in a swiping gesture, before shaking his head and turning back to the entrance when Ginny effectively sidestepped his lash. "_Snakes, Snails, and Brewing Tails,_" he muttered as the door opened before him. Seeing no other option, Ginny filed in after him.

            The Slytherin common room was empty, save Draco's presence, which meant that it was pretty much empty. Black leather couches and darkly colored tables and stands were placed about the room. A green carpet spread across the floor, emphasizing the Slytherin colors: silver and green. Ginny shuddered, not liking the fact that she was _in_ the Slytherin common room to begin with. Draco started to walk towards the boy's dormitory, grumbling almost under his breath that prefects should have their own sleeping quarters. "That Weasley girl is so clumsy… I wonder if there is anything in that thick skull of hers." He had himself a less than humble chuckle over his words and nodded his head in acceptance. If she was not mistaken, then Malfoy was actually _planning_ his next joke! Ginny was flabbergasted by what a pompous prat he was. He had proven himself uncompanionably difficult to know as a person, and a cheat who played by no rules but his own, but even calling Harry 'Saint Potter' wasn't as bad as rehearsing his own _jokes_ before acting upon them! Maybe he wasn't as quick-witted as she had thought.

            If not, then this provided Ginny with a strong advantage. A very strong advantage.

            Seeing no other chance to take, Ginny quietly murmured the words of her spell and flicked her wand at Draco's head. A dim ray of energy blasted into the back of Draco's head, and he merely stumbled forward a bit, looking utterly confused and malcontent. Ginny held her breath and waited. "Must've tripped," he decided in annoyance, glaring at the stair steps before descending them. Once he was safely out of sight and sound range, Ginny wheeled towards the door out of the dungeons, only to find a stream of Slytherins filing into the common room.

            Ginny stood still, petrified.

            She would love to be there in the morning when Draco woke up with no hair, but right now she had to get out of the Slytherin Dungeons without being caught. Ginny bit her bottom lip and slinked off slowly to a shadowy corner, leaning against the wall like a trapped mouse. She had a long wait; that was for sure.

(A/N: Well, how is the second chapter? Satisfactory? J Feel free to review!)


	3. Mutation of Morality

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Disclaimer: As much as I wish I did, I don't own Harry Potter.

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"Behind the basic principle of the current moral fashion: 'moral actions are actions performed out of sympathy for others', I see the social effect of timidity hiding behind an intellectual mask: it desires, first and foremost, that all the dangers which life once held should be removed from it, and that everyone should assist in this with all his might: hence only those actions which tend towards the common security and society's sense of security are to be accorded the predicate 'good'! [...]"

- Friedrich Nietzsche, Philosopher

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Moral Fashion of a Commercial Society

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By Sorrow in Shadow

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Chapter Three – Mutation of Morality

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"There is a continual moiling and toiling going on in morality – the effect of successful crimes (among which, for example, are included all innovations in moral thinking.)"

Ginny Weasley bit her bottom lip and stared out through soft brown _AN: What color ARE her eyes?_ eyes at the crowds of drawling Slytherins. They huddled together in groups, and Ginny began to recognize several of them. Crabbe and Goyle, with their shoulders hunched and their muscular arms flexing as they attempted to impress girls who were far beyond their reach in the social ladder. Ginny momentarily pictured the two thugs climbing an actual ladder and suddenly finding the rings disappear beneath their sluggish feet. She smiled despite herself as she envisioned the two brutes falling into a deep ocean where Goyle yelled to Crabbe: 'I can't swim!' and the atrocious lug Crabbe replied with the same conclusion that their tiny brains had mustered.

Snapping out of her glorious reverie, Ginny concentrated on trying to find a way out. Pansy Parkinson glided – or tried to – past her, spraying a whiff of her new expensive perfume over her wrists and taking in the scent with a deep breath. Blaise Zabini, the only serious looking gal of the bunch, had her arms folded across her chest and was gazing uninterestedly over her nose at the two prissy immature girls who giggled – with their shrill, shrieks that could be called, for some inhuman reason, giggles – constantly while pointing out cute guys and talking in whispers. Ginny regarded Blaise with a raised brow and resisted the urge to snort. Blaise was absolutely gorgeous, Ginny had to admit. Many of the Gryffindor guys turned into mush at the very sight of the raven-haired beauty.

So maybe she was a little jealous. _No problem,_ Ginny thought as she fingered her thick red hair and thought about her creamy brown eyes. Wrinkling her nose, she contemplated an escape attempt. They would certainly miss her in the Common Room. Hermione knew what she was doing though. Hermione would cover for her. But for how long?

_I just need to get out of here safely..._ she thought, biting her lower lip and looking for a way out. The Slytherins were everywhere, like a corridor of snakes, climbing all over each other and whipping their tongues out like forked pitchforks pronging through haystacks and looking for a mark. Ginny shivered. Maybe if she could distract the ones by the door... How? The invisibility cloak only kept her from being seen, not heard or felt. Still, she didn't think she had enough time to wait the Slytherins out. She still had to get back to her own common room, and if she waited too long...

Well, Filch would be excited to catch her, wouldn't he? And there were – things – creeping around Hogwarts at night that she wasn't too keen on meeting. Ginny definitely didn't want to have a Harry Episode. She was too tired for that. The common room was very full, so she'd have to wait a little while. But her corner was feeling very comfortable all of a sudden, and there were a lot of people... Maybe if she just closed her eyes for a minute...

Suddenly Ginny jerked up, looking about her with wide eyes. The room was considerably dark, and she was alone. She gasped and looked down. A surge of relief swept through her when she noticed the cloak had not fallen off. Now was the perfect time to escape. She gathered the cloak about her once more for reassurance and began to walk silently towards the door. A voice stopped her, and she slowly turned her face to the source.

"Weasley..." was all she heard at first of the quiet mutterings. She glanced at the door then back at the shadowed corner of the common room. Frowning, she stood perfectly still, barely breathing. She really should be going... but she was curious. What time was it anyway? Ginny didn't know. She almost said 'hello' into the blackness but held herself back at the last moment. Cautiously, she tip-toed over to the source of the sounds and peered at the two shadowed figures of...

Pansy Parkinson and Crabbe?!

"...And that Weasley girl he seems to have such an interest in now?" Pansy was saying in a high-pitched, soft voice. Ginny felt her brows furrow. What the hell?

"Don't worry, Pansy," Crabbe returned, his deep voice hoarse and cracking as he tried to lower it. He ran his thick tongue across his lips and shuffled uneasily. "We'll make sure he doesn't look at her again." Ginny felt Pansy smile. She could just tell.

"Yes, and Weasley will be sorry she ever crossed Pansy Parkinson!" Pansy squealed, letting out a shriek of laughter. Ginny was disgusted and stumbled back, knocking into a suit of armor. She froze. Pansy and Crabbe turned and glared into the lighter areas of their common room. "Hello?"

"Who's there?" Crabbe asked sharply, sneering as he clomped forward clumsily. Pansy was close behind him, and Ginny knew she had to move quickly. "Who is it?" Crabbe asked again, groping about with his fat, sticky fingers. Ginny grimaced and leapt back, tripping and hitting the table with her back. She let out a small moan of pain and watched helplessly as Crabbe and Pansy turned towards her invisible self, coming closer and closer with hungry looks upon their pudgy faces.

"What _is_ going on?" Draco yawned, coming down the stairs at a leisurely pace. This time it was Pansy and Crabbe's turn to freeze, and as they looked at Draco, they started to laugh uncontrollably. "Are you _laughing_ at me?" Draco inquired angrily, his hands clenched into fists and placed on his hips in that 'rich boy' stance he did so well. Crabbe and Pansy were out of control now, and, having forgotten about Ginny, were bent double, still laughing. Crabbe was slapping his knee with his flabby palm, and Pansy was shrieking in mirth. Ginny shuddered. Who could ever hang around such creeps and slimeballs?

Draco glared haughtily at the two and ran a hand through his... hair? Where had his hair gone? Draco panicked, running around and looking for a mirror. He finally found one only feet from Ginny, and she could see his startled expression. Eyes wide, mouth open, and hands gripping at his bald head. She couldn't help it; she started to laugh too. He looked ridiculous! She was overjoyed and wiped a tear from her eye. Draco whirled around, eyeing Crabbe and Pansy with such a looming, ominous gaze that they shut up immediately. He scoffed and stomped back to his dormitory, gray eyes ablaze and fists clenched.

Crabbe and Pansy shared another laugh and a knowing glance, and proceeded to follow him. Ginny breathed a sigh of relief. Then it struck her. Draco Malfoy had saved her without knowing it. She felt a strange tingling sensation at the irony and quickly left the Slytherin Dungeons. There was a prefect standing guard at the entrance, but she was able to slip past him without much difficulty. As she climbed the Grand Staircase and up to the Gryffindor Tower, she missed a step and fell forward... onto Mrs. Norris. With a yelp, the cat dashed off to find Filch, and Ginny squeaked and hurried along.

Filch was such a prat, if she ever met one. He was worse than Draco! Ginny cursed beneath her breath as she trudged up the stairs, passing the prefects' bathroom on her way up. She should ask Hermione, or Harry, or Ron, for the password. Surely they would know it. And she did so want to see the famed, private bathrooms. As she passed a row of bookshelves on the fourth corridor, she heard a scraping sound. Pausing, Ginny quickly backtracked and peered around the corner.

Coming from behind a bookshelf and laughing was Dean Thomas and... Lavender Brown? Ginny felt her face grow hot and her heartbeat quicken. They were giggling and fondling each other. Dean's hand was on Lavender's breast and she muffled another chuckle as she pressed her lips to his and lowered her hand. Dean moaned into her mouth as she gently started to stick her hand down his pants and play with his manhood. Ginny's eyes widened as she turned away, breathing heavily.

Lavender! _The bitch!_ Ginny thought, tightening her fists and biting down on her knuckles to keep from shouting out. She should have known it. Dean was ambitious, that she knew. Besides, Ginny didn't give him any, and he certainly couldn't make a move on her in public, because Ron was always there, fuming. Still, Ginny was going to miss the cover and protection he provided her with. 

She had half a mind to walk into the room right now and strip off her cloak. She way perfectly ready to do so, too. But... that would be rash. And Ginny wasn't rash. Instead, she tightened her – Harry's, actually – cloak and walked quietly into the room, where her boyfriend and her friend were busy making out. Biting her lower lip one last time, Ginny forced a cold expression filled with malice and betrayal onto her lovely face. She leaned against a wall and waited. They would have to break it off soon. They were both in need of air.

Finally Dean pulled away and touched noses with Lavender, smiling. Lavender kissed his lips once more in a sickeningly sweet manner and toyed with him a little longer, teasing him. Ginny didn't care. She had never liked Dean all that much. He was always one to boast or brag and act stupid with his friends. Ginny wasn't very fond of stupid people. They made her nervous because she never knew what they'd try. "Meet you tomorrow in our spot, eh Lav?" Lavender nearly squealed at his nickname for her, if it could be called that.

Ginny rolled her eyes and almost said: "Oh, please! She does it to every girl! I was 'Gin', you're 'Lav'! He just shortens your bloody name." But, of course, she didn't. Actually, she thought that Dean had a very limited imagination, and added that with his brain capacity to equal dumbass. 

"Of course, Deany!" Lavender replied with another giggle. At least she wasn't as bad as Pansy. Ginny remembered her shriek of a laugh and shuddered. "Same place, same time. Midnight, as always, in out secret corridor!" Dean pressed a finger to her lips and grinned. He let her go, and watched her sway her hips as she left, his eyes shining with lust. Ginny grimaced and wondered what sort of curse she'd put on him tomorrow, when she arrived in their secret corridor at midnight.

__

(AN: Sorry it took so damn long! Eh heh. I apologize.)


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